Coach-Athletes Out of Season Limitations

40.1 Unless otherwise permitted in this rule, between seasons a coach may conduct a meeting(s) with team candidates only to elect captains, collect equipment, issue equipment, to provide for physical examinations, to conduct legitimate fund-raising events, or to offer wellness workshops or activities.

40.2 A coach is defined as any paid or volunteer member of the athletic staff.

40.3 The MIAA considers the last coach of record as holding that position until replaced by the principal.

40.4 A coach may not directly or indirectly require an athlete to participate in a sport or a training program outside of the MIAA defined sport season. Voluntary conditioning sessions open equally to all students in a school and which are entirely devoid of sports-specific activity may be conducted between seasons provided no candidate is either required to participate or penalized for not doing so. A "candidate" is defined as:

40.4.1 A varsity or sub-varsity athlete who participated in a high school program at some interscholastic level the previous year and has eligibility remaining; or

40.4.2 A middle school student “selected” to participate in an out-of-season program.

40.4.3 A sixth grade student in a 7-12 high school or an eighth grade student in a 9-12 high school.

40.5 A high school coach may be employed by a park or recreation department or other organization or may volunteer for such a group to teach his/her sport out-of-season provided the following conditions exist:

40.5.1 No candidate may either be required to attend or be penalized for not attending.

40.5.2 School funds are not used.

40.5.3 A coach's high school candidates must constitute the minority of those taking part in any out-of-season sport's program, and never more than 50% competing on any team at any moment (e.g. no more than two basketball candidates could be on the court, or 3 ice hockey players on the ice, on the same team, at any point during a game). In sports that are individual in nature, or where competition involves a series of scoring events, candidates of that high school coach must be fewer than 50% of those participating in the overall competition or program.

40.6 A program is deemed to be an intramural rather than an out-of season program provided that:

40.6.1 The program is available to all high school students on an indiscriminate basis, and a representative number of noncandidates are regular participants.

40.6.2 No participants may receive any attention not offered to all other participants.

40.6.3 Candidates in that intramural sport must constitute a minority of those taking part in the program and never more than 50% of any team actually playing or competing at any one time. (See Rule 40.5.3)

40.6.4 The program must be a direct offering of the high school involved.

40.7 Public High Schools can host an open house to introduce their schools, academic, extracurricular activities and facilities in the month of February including athletic department presentations (that will include coaches) talking about their sport, facility and philosophy as happens during Catholic School Week. Organizational meetings for fall sports including collecting names, physical documentation and practice schedules for the fall would be not allowable until the current May 1 date.

​40.8 High School Coaches (paid or volunteer) of one sport may be involved in outof-season activity of another sport during the summer only. PENALTY: Because these standards are designed to protect young people from unfair and inequitable scenarios, any coach who violates, or does not prevent violations, of these standards will be rendered ineligible to participate or be present at any MIAA approved or sponsored interscholastic competition in that sport for one year from the date of determination of a rule violation. If a violation is inadvertent or relatively minor, this penalty may be reduced by the Board of Directors, or its designee.